In minerals mining, such as, in particular, in underground mining, so-called scraper chain conveyors have for decades been used for material transport, in which an endless conveyor chain is provided at regular intervals with drivers, which are connected to the horizontally lying chain links, hereinafter referred to as horizontal chain links, of the conveyor chain. The conveyor chain runs at both conveyor ends around a respective chain wheel, by means of which the conveyor chain is diverted and/or driven. Both chain wheels here have teeth with uniform tooth pitch. Particularly in scraper chain conveyors, in which only one chain wheel is motor-driven whilst the other chain wheel forms a pure deflection pulley in a reversing station, the chain wheel of the reversing station, after a certain operating time, has been used in the main drive, and vice versa, in order to continue to operate the scraper chain conveyor with the same pair of chain wheels. The chain wheels are generally mounted and supported at the main drive station and at the reversing station with a substantially horizontally lying chain wheel axle, with the distance between two drivers normally amounting to a plurality of horizontal and vertical chain links. In representation of numerous such embodiments of scraper chain conveyors, reference is made to WO2007/110088 A1, having block-like horizontal chain links, or DE 43 16 753 A1, having eyelet-like chain links.
In respect of the scraper chain conveyors, scraper chain conveyors having a double-centre chain have almost totally prevailed in recent years. The driving or diversion of the conveyor chain around the chain wheel has been realized by a horizontal chain link being respectively placed with its one bend against the locating pocket on the rear flank of a first tooth and with its other bend against the front flank of the, in the direction of rotation, following tooth. At the same time, the vertical chain links engage in an interspace on the tooth to enable the next following horizontal chain link to come to bear with its front bend correspondingly against the rear side of the second tooth, and the rear bend to come to bear against the front flank of a then third tooth. Due to the play in the joints of the individual chain links with one another, each tooth may press with its locating pocket on the front flank against the bend of a horizontal chain link, which at the same time engages in the eyelet of a following vertical chain link. Hereby the vertical chain link is drawn into the tooth space and the next following horizontal chain link is drawn into the circulation around the chain wheel.
Due to the high raw material requirement, there is increasingly the desire to work even poorly accessible or, where appropriate, very low deposits. In DE 20 2012 100 777, the Applicant has proposed an apron conveyor in which the transport plates are tiltably connected to a chain connecting part, which is in turn connected to the respective horizontal chain links of a conveyor chain.
The present disclosure is directed, at least in part, to improving or overcoming one or more aspects of prior systems.